


And now I'm ready to lay it on the line

by Pyracantha



Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Gratuitous Use of Dick in a Box, Ineffable Advent, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), M/M, Merry Christmas, Wrapping Gifts, sweet declarations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28307694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyracantha/pseuds/Pyracantha
Summary: Christmas is a great time for declarations of love.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 45
Collections: Ineffable Husbands Advent Challenge 2020





	And now I'm ready to lay it on the line

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Happy Christmas! This is a slice of domestic fluff for the Ineffable Husband's FB group Advent event. Just some man shaped beings who enjoy being silly and in love.  
> Please enjoy and I hope your holidays and end of the year include some selfcare and happiness. 
> 
> Ineffable Husband's FB Group - Prompt : Opening Gifts
> 
> Title from the ridiculous song "Dick in a Box"

Aziraphale is in his shirtsleeves, cuffs rolled up to his elbows, surrounded by tissue paper and ribbons. The afternoon light outside the bookshop is golden and it lights up the glitter on the wrapping paper. His smile is shy as he finishes the bow on a small dark red package and lays it carefully to the side. He can hear Crowley banging around in the flat upstairs. They have come up to London for a spot of shopping for Christmas and Aziraphale has spent the last hour wrapping up the gifts for their friends. They are expected Christmas Day in Tadfield and Aziraphale has been making sure their presents will be as delightful to look at as they will be to open. 

“I have a surprise for you, Angel!” Crowley calls from upstairs. 

“Crowley, this had better not be a repeat of that ghastly American trick from last year.” the angel calls. Aziraphale’s eye roll can be heard in his voice. He can hear Crowley laughing and then faintly singing “Gonna give you something so you know what's on my mind.” Aziraphale finishes up the bow he’s been tying. He gives it a tweak to make sure it’s perfect and then heads towards the stairs. 

He can hear Crowley humming that ridiculous song and laughing quietly to himself. Aziraphale can’t help the smile that crosses his face. He occasionally still can’t believe this is finally his life. He climbs upstairs towards the light and Crowley’s voice. As he comes through the door to the warmth of his old flat he smells mulling spices, red wine, and a lovely undertone of smoke and leather. It’s a smell that feels like home after these last two years. 

“Is that you, Angel?” Crowley calls from the small sitting room. “Do you want some mulled wine?” 

“Of course, darling.” Aziraphale walks towards the demon’s voice. He can see him now meeting him halfway to the kitchenette with a beautiful smile. 

They meet with hands and then bodies and then lips. Aziraphale’s hands slide into Crowley’s lovely fire bright hair, the strands sliding softly through his fingers. They stay there sweetly pressing together for a few moments before Crowley is pulling away to get his angel a mug of wine. 

“It smells divine, my dear.” Aziraphale says smiling as he breathes in the spicy steam. 

“Not divine!” Crowley snorts. “Obviously quite earthly and delicious if I may say so myself.” He wraps himself around the angel from behind. He kisses Aziraphale’s nape, nuzzling there right behind his ear. Breathing deep the delightful smell of old books and ozone he sighs and melts against the angel, wanting nothing more than to hold this moment of delight in his life. 

Aziraphale hums contentedly and leans back into Crowley’s arms. “So you mentioned a surprise my dear?” Crowley unwinds his arms from around him and says, “Yes! Come in here next to the tree.”

With a glint in his eye he takes the angel’s hand and leads him towards the sofa. The tree is lovely, twinkling in the evening light. They sit down side by side and Crowley leans down and picks up a small box from under the tree. It’s wrapped in black paper and tied with a crimson ribbon. Crowley strokes the bow with a finger and then with a shy smile he hands it over to Aziraphale. 

“Oh this looks lovely, Crowley.” Aziraphale puts down his mug and takes the small box admiring the bow and the neat wrapping. Right as he can tell the demon is getting ready to tell him to ‘just get on with it, Angel’, he unties the bow. He unwraps the box slowly, being careful of the paper. He sets it aside and glances at Crowley. He seems uncharacteristically quiet and a bit red about the ears. 

Aziraphale opens the box slowly revealing a ring of bright platinum with a thin iridescent black line around the middle. He glances up at Crowley who is biting his lip and looking excited but also a bit nervous. 

“Oh Crowley, this is exquisite!” Aziraphale takes the ring and puts it on his palm, tilting it this way and that to see the iridescence flash. It’s lovely and Aziraphale has never seen anything like it.

Crowley clears his throat and takes the angel’s free hand. Aziraphale closes his hand around the ring and turns his full attention to Crowley’s face. 

“So, Angel, I, ugh, OK, let me start again.” Aziraphale squeezes his hand encouragingly. Crowley takes a deep breath. “OK. Angel, I have been unbelievably happy and I know we have been settled in our new place for a while. And I know that you’ve been happy.” he pauses looking the slightest bit concerned. “You have been happy haven’t you, Angel?” 

“Of course, yes darling, deliriously.” He squeezes Crowley’s hand again and smiles. 

Crowley blushes and his smile comes back bigger than ever. “Right, so, well I thought, we’re as married as we could ever be on earth but we don’t have anything that shows that, well, that we belong together. To each other.” He moves to hold the angel’s cupped hand with both of his. 

“I looked and looked but I couldn't find anything that was just right so I made this for you.” 

As Crowley has been speaking the angel’s smile has been growing more and more bright. At the end of his little speech Aziraphale is in danger of glowing, his face is so happy. He is overcome with love for his partner, his companion of over 6000 years. To know that they have come so far in their journey that this is the result, the cottage, their friends, the companionship they never dared to dream they could actually have. He reaches out for Crowley’s face, cupping his hand around that beloved jaw. 

“Oh dearest. It’s beautiful and of course I will wear it. Forever.” He leans in and kisses Crowley softly. He pulls back and opens his hand to place the ring on his left hand. Aziraphale admires it’s deep sparkle on his ring finger. He smiles brilliantly again and says “I think you should open your gift now Crowley.”

Aziraphale leans down and picks up a small box. It’s golden paper with a cream coloured bow and the angel places it in Crowley’s outstretched hand. Crowley looks at the box and then back at the angel’s smile. His grin is wide and unselfconscious as he opens the little box. Nestled inside is a black gold circle, a serpent with golden eyes and glinting scales. It’s a perfect fit for his ring finger and he laughs with delight as he slides it on. 

“What’s that they say about old married couples thinking alike?” Crowley leans forward to encircle his angel in his arms. 

“Well after all this time I think I might still have a few surprises up my sleeve for you darling. You never know what I might come up with.” As Aziraphale says this last he nips Crowley’s earlobe with his teeth. 

“Ah! Angel!” Crowley yelps even as he shivers. He nuzzles his way to the angel’s neck and snuggles closer. “Let’s see what surprises we can come up with together.”

“Sounds lovely, my dear. Let’s go to bed.” He stands and pulls Crowley up from the sofa, eyes soft with desire. As they move together towards the bedroom they lean on each other and Aziraphale whispers, “Happy Christmas, my love.” 

And the beautiful reply comes back, “Happy Christmas, Angel.”


End file.
